The protest over the N104 million Mudarabah investment and the alleged withdrawal from customers’ accounts at Jaiz Bank, Jos, on Monday, has raised questions with many asking how such could have occurred. One staff member of the bank, Habiba Abdulrahman, is at the centre of the scandal.

Mrs Abdulrahman, 35, is a resident of Muhammadu Wada Street, Jos North Local Government Area of Plateau State. She had her primary education at Women Association Primary School, Jos.

Thereafter, she proceeded to Federal Government Girls’ College, Bauchi. In 2009, she gained admission into the Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University (ATBU), Bauchi, where she read Environmental Management Technology.

She taught at Esteem Secondary School. And between 2018 and 2019, she was employed by Jaiz Bank as a contract customer service officer and subsequently rose to the position of Operations Head (Backup), with the primary duty of approving withdrawals and transfers initiated by tellers in the bank.

Weekend Trust gathered that Habiba was sacked by the bank in January 2026, after the irregularities were detected.

On Monday this week, affected customers who found their accounts emptied by the alleged sacked staff staged a protest in front of the bank in Jos, asking it to refund their money.

They also called on the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and other relevant authorities to come to their aid, adding that despite several complaints to the bank’s management, the money had not been refunded.

The customers alleged that when the matter was earlier reported to the bank’s management, they were informed that the money had been transferred to several bank accounts by a staff member.

The protesters insisted that the transactions were carried out within the banking hall using documents approved by the bank.

The protesters at the entrance of the bank on Monday.

We found fake Jaiz Bank certificates of fixed deposits, documents in Habiba’s house – Police

Following a complaint to the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) of the Plateau State police command by the Jaiz Bank Jos branch manager, Victoria Amidu, in January this year, the CID arrested Habiba, Weekend Trust gathered.

In its findings dated June 19, 2026, obtained by Weekend Trust from the lawyer of one of the victims, N. A. Idoko, the CID accused Habiba of conspiracy, cheating and fraud during her transactions with the affected customers.

The police also accused Habiba of conniving with her husband, Manir Murtala, 44, and her younger sister, Zainab Abdulrahman, 21, whose accounts were allegedly used to transfer customers’ money into theirs.

According to the report, after a search warrant was conducted in the house and premises of the suspects, some relevant Jaiz Bank documents were recovered from her possession.

It added that investigation activities were communicated to Jaiz Bank, requesting for a comprehensive bank statement of the principal suspect and that of her husband, as well as one Muhammed Buhari Suleiman, who allegedly granted the principal suspect consent to use his corporate account to hide the money.

“The principal suspect, Habiba Abdulrahman, was an employee and senior staff of the bank who betrayed the trust of the bank and that of customers.

“Habiba Abdulrahman (suspect) engaged herself in fraudulent activities in the bank by obtaining money from some customers of Jaiz Bank Plc, Jos branch under a false pretence of opening fixed deposit account for them after making them fill and sign an account opening mandate.

“Habiba Abdulrahman (suspect) engaged some bank customers, namely, Abdullahi Danasabe (m); Abubakar Yahaya Yunus (m); Hadiza Ishaku Garba (f); Zulail Danladi (f); Amina Inuwa Sa’ad (f); Odokor Amina Peace (f) and Hajara Ahmed (f).

thers are Abdulrahman Idris (m); Anas Mohammed (m); Samson Nasir Umar (m); Amina Abdullahi Khamis (f) and Hasheem Umar Farouk Lawal (m), under the guise of opening a fixed deposit account for them in Jaiz Bank without the consent and knowledge of the bank authority.

“Habiba Abdulrahman (suspect) forged signatures of Jaiz Bank customers, claiming to have opened a fixed deposit account for them, and consequently withdrew their money without their consent or authorisation. She used the second suspect, being her husband’s bank account, and the third suspect, being her younger sister’s account, to transfer the money, from where she withdrew it.

“Habiba Abdulrahman’s (suspect) house and premises were searched and Jaiz Bank withdrawal slips, fake Jaiz Bank fixed deposit account certificates and other fake Jaiz Bank documents printed by Habiba Abdulrahman, which she used in deceiving bank customers, were recovered.

“Further investigation by the police also indicted that all the accounts said to have been opened by the suspects for the customers were false.

There is no record in Jaiz Bank that shows any fixed deposit account alleged to have been owned by Abdullahi Danasabe and 11 others. Habiba Abdulrahman also confessed that she defrauded the customers without opening any fixed deposit account.

“Habiba Abdulrahman (suspect) defrauded Abdullahi Danasabe and 11 others of the sum of N104,000,000.00 and claimed to have invested the money in mining, but her claim could not be substantiated,” the report stated.

The police report further stated that Habiba hid all the transactions to ensure that no bank official knew what she was doing, adding, “She never told any of the victims that they were dealing with her directly, but convinced them to believe that they were dealing directly with Jaiz Bank Plc.

“She also claimed to have opened a fixed deposit account for the customers, which never existed. It was further discovered that the fixed deposit certificate Habiba issued to some customers was fake as the bank confirmed it to be forged documents. Habiba also used an Opay account belonging to Zainab Abdulrahman, who is her sister, to hide proceeds of the money from customers’ various accounts.

“Therefore, it is suggested that Habiba Abdulrahman be charged to court for criminal conspiracy, breach of trust, forgery and cheating, while Munir Murtala and Zainab Abdulrahman should be charged for criminal conspiracy, receiving stolen property and abetment,” findings and report by the police stated.

Habiba walks freely

Investigation by our correspondent revealed that despite the findings, Habiba still walks freely in the community

Our correspondent gathered that in January this year when the bank reported the matter to the CID, the suspect was arrested and detained for two weeks but was later granted bail by the Plateau State police command on health ground.

Efforts to reach the woman at the centre of the matter, Habiba, to get her side of the story were not successful as she neither picked calls nor responded to text and WhatsApp messages from our correspondent. However, shortly before press time, she sent a message to our correspondent, saying “Thanks for contacting. I will get back to you with my own story soonest please”.

The bank’s lawyer, Munir Barau, declined further comment on the matter, when our correspondent approached him. However, earlier on Monday after the affected customers protested, he said the aggrieved customers had dealings with an individual and not directly with the bank.

Barau had said: “They dealt with a former staff of Jaiz Bank, but unknown to them, the staff was not depositing their money into their various accounts. That is the bottom line of the whole issue. If you follow due process and deposit your money, it is safe. Some did the transaction after banking hours, and even at her residence. The matter is still in court. I am surprised to see them protesting.”

Weekend Trust also sought to know if the police had charged Habiba and her alleged accomplices to court following their findings, but the spokesperson of the command, SP Alabo Alfred, did not respond to calls and a text message from our correspondent. (Weekend Trust)